Fortify Rights |
Fortify Rights is an organization with the main objective of uncovering human rights violations in order to make them known to the public members, people who have the authority to make policies and to uncover the stakeholders. Specifically, in their words, they “provide technical support to human rights defenders and conduct independent monitoring and strategic advocacy"(“Policies of Persecution…”, 2014:2). By applying new forms of technologies, ideas related to the human rights movement are conveyed in an innovative way. They often publish press releases, reports and video features, often on the issue of ethnic cleansing, all with the purpose of revitalizing the human rights movement (“Policies of Persecution…”, 2014).
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For example, in one of their recent reports, they revealed violations of the rights of Rohingya Muslims of Mynamar, comprising of restrictions on the freedoms of marriage, childbirth and essential medical care, all revealed from hidden government documents and records (Landis, 2014). Abusive, inhumane methods set for the purpose of controlling the Rohingya population were exposed in this report (Landis, 2014). All the evidence points to the unjust treatment of this group, enforced merely to control their population in the country. Many ethno-religious tensions have arisen between the groups of the Rakhine Buddhists and the Rohingya Muslims for many generations (Policies of Persecution, 2014). “Many Rakhine claim to feel threatened by the Muslim population and oppressed by the central government, and they have been intent on forcing Rohingya out of what they regard as their exclusive ancestral homeland.” (“Policies of Persecution…”, 2014:9) The attitudes the Buddhists groups have for the Muslim groups have lead to a great deal of violence against this community and consequently there have been many casualties and whole Muslim neighbourhoods have been destroyed (Landis, 2014). It was also uncovered that the government does little to protect the people at risk and in some cases, enforce the violence (Policies of Persecution, 2014).
Through their press release, Fortify Rights urge the community at large to take a stand in order to investigate more into human rights violations the Mynamar government have made. They furthermore urge the government of Mynamar to eradicate their harsh policies against the Rohingya (Landis, 2014). They point out that this will be the first step in stopping the violence and the problem of forced migration (Landis, 2014).
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It is organizations like the Fortify Rights that we must aid in order to prevent the harsh policies of ethnic cleansing around the world. The first step to changing anything for the better is to become aware of it. Through the various videos, press releases and publications Fortify Rights publish, we can all become aware of the injustices happening around the world, on cause of ones ethnicity. With this information, we can make a change.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT: https://vimeo.com/100479824 |
Human Rights watch
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Human Rights Watch is an organization that investigates abuses on human rights and provides the public with these facts for the purpose of defending the rights of people around the world (“Human Rights Watch”, 2015). They are directed in their work by international human rights and humanitarian law. As an independent international organization, they do not believe in accepting any governmental funds and therefore maintain a neutral stance in terms of politics (“Human Rights Watch”, 2015). They define success as their actions leading to positive and lasting changes.
As ethnic cleansing and genocide are infringements on human rights, Human Rights Watch also investigates these issues. For example, in Ethiopia, there have been serious abusive policies put in place against the Anuak communities (Ochalla, 2002). These policies include a disregard for their security to the point where they have become the most unprivileged groups in Ethiopia (Ochalla, 2002). The amount of atrocities these people have had to face are endless, and the reason for all this discrimination is nothing but their ethnic origins (Ochalla,2002). |
On March 24, 2005, Human Rights Watch published a report highlighting in detail all the injustices against the Anuak community by not only the local Ethiopian citizens, but also the Ethiopian government and military (“Targeting the Anuak”, 2005). The Anuak have had to face all kinds of violence on top of their lack of access to clean water, food, education and healthcare. In their report, they uncover that soldiers “have raped Anuak women, beaten and tortured young men to the point of serious injury or death and looted homes and public buildings.” (“Targeting the Anuak”, 2005:1) Such circumstances have lead to an increasingly fearful mood amongst the Anuak people, whenever they encounter soldiers. They further state the confusion and uncertainty when it comes to the motives of the government, stating that the Ethiopian solider and officers commit such atrocities as a result of their frustration of not capturing the armed Anuak groups they have been on the search for (“Targeting the Anuak”, 2005). Once again, it can be seen, that people of authority confuse extremists of a certain community with the majority of the moderate members.
Human Rights Watch then specifically address certain groups such as the Government Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations and to Donor Governments and urge them to take a stance against these injustices (“Targeting the Anuak”, 2005). They outline steps such as providing training of human rights to the Ethiopian armed forces and providing assistance to the victims of these abuses (“Targeting the Anuak”, 2005). By listening to the civilians who have been affected first hand by these policies, the public really understands their point of view and can associate with these people. With this knowledge, we can spread awareness of the issue of ethnic cleansing and this infringement can be eradicated.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvynOfZpGUw
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvynOfZpGUw
'Fortify Rights' PICTURES
http://www.fortifyrights.org/
https://i.vimeocdn.com/portrait/8001105_300x300.jpg
http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/rights-group-leaked-documents-outline-govt-abuse-rohingyas.html/attachment/rakhine-state-conflict-2
Human Rights Watch PICTURES
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Anuak_Girls,_Dimma_(10399695426).jpg
http://news.ccf.org.fj/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/human-78rw.jpg
http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/media/images/photographs/2010_Ethiopia_MapSIZED.jpg
http://www.consciousbeingalliance.com/Anuak-Children-B%26W%20LR.jpg